LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s basketball program has put together one of the strongest recruiting classes of all time, signing six of the nation’s top players during the early fall signing period. Highly rated prospects Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones, Malik Monk and Tai Wynyard have all signed with UK.

All six players are consensus four- or five-star prospects, and four are ranked in the top 10 by the major national recruiting services. In a class stocked full of highly regarded players, national analysts are already calling this the nation’s top signing haul for 2016.

“One of the things I loved about this group is they all want to play together,” head coach John Calipari said. “This recruiting wasn’t just coming from me and my staff; this whole group wanted to play together and wants to be one of the best groups ever. To make this work, they’ve got to like each other and want to play together, and this group already has that.

“Part of that is they’re great kids, both on and off the court. They’re terrific students and get it done in the classroom. They’re high-character kids. They understand that what they do off the court is just as important as what they do on the court.”

In every season in the Calipari era, the Wildcats have signed either the nation’s No. 1 or No. 2 recruiting class. UK looks to continue that streak with the latest additions of Adebayo, Fox, Gabriel, Killeya-Jones, Monk and Wynyard.

“Every player in this class is different,” Calipari said. “They all have their own strengths. They all bring something to the table. They’re all different and they’re all concerned with being the best version of themselves. Each kid made a decision based on their goals and dreams and what’s best for them personally. As we bring this all together, I’m excited.”